Ammonia-condensing apparatus.



1. A. sTuTsMAN.

AMMONIA CONDENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION {ILED FEB. 6, 191s.

1,148,725. Patent-@Mug 3,1915.

@@@xiwm y n :DLL'MBIA PLANoaRAPM C0.,WASHIN01`0N, n. c,

En sTETEs TETENT oEErcE.

JOSEPH A. STUTSMAN, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMMONIA-CONDENSING APPARATUS.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. STUTSMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ammonia-Condensing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to condensing apparatus for condensing and liquefying gas preparatory to employing the same in apparatus designed c to utilize gas in a liquid form, as for example in refrigerating machinery.

In the type of condensing vapparatus to which my invention more particularly relates, the liquefaction of the gas is effected by introducing gas which has previously been more or less compressed, into a receptacle commonly made up in the form of a series of coils or pipes of a length calculated to give relatively large superficial area as compared with its capacity, which receptacle is in part filled with a liquid, which is preferably a body of previously liquefied and cooled gas of the same nature as that in process of liquefaction. lThe compressed gas which is introduced into the said receptacle is discharged into the liquefied gas therein contained, and by intimately inter- .mingling with the same, facilitates the liquefaction of the gas in a manner lwell understoodby those conversantin the art. Water or other cooling agents are preferably caused to flow from the exterior of lsaid pipes containing the intermingled `gas and liquefied gas for the purpose of cooling the same. i

My invention more especially consists in a novel construction of apparatus for eii'ecting the condensation of the compressed gasl under the specially favorable conditions made possible by such arrangement and which enables me to secure a high efficiency in theamount of gas condensable for a given area of surface of the condensing apparatus. Such novel construction is more particularly characterized byy an improved form of apparatus designed to efect a more thorough and intimate intermingling with the previouslyY liquefied gas, of the compressed gas introduced into the receptacle; and bythe arrangement of the pipes or coils forming the receptacle containing the intermingled compressed gas and liquefied gas as to pro- Specifcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application led. February 6, 1913. Serial No. 746,441.

duce a circulation of the said mixture therein in such manner as to secure a higher condensing eflioiency of the apparatus.

In such drawings Figure 1 is a side view of an improved ammonia condensing apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, taken on the plane -w. Fig. S is a partly sectional detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing the construction of my interchanger so called. Fig. 4 is an end view of said interchanger. Fig. 5 I

pipe or conduit 1, leading to the side outlet of a T 2. From the end outlets of the T2 extend in either directionpipes 3, 3,'preferably having a combined area approaching that of the pipe, 1.- The'free endsofV the pipes y3, 3, are-,connected through return bends 4, 4, to the pipes 5, 5, Vof which the ends meet above the T 2. Said meeting ends of the pipes 5, 5, are securedinto a special fitti-ngj, which, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, substantially embodies two longitudinally passaged'portions 7 and 8, intercommunicating through the passagedconnection 9, the former p'assaged portion 7 being adapted at each end to engage the said pipes 5, 5,

and the portion 8, the pipes 10, 10, hereinafter mentioned. f From the passaged portion 8 of the said fittingy 6, pipes 10 lead in opposite directions to the return bends 11,

11, which are in turn connected through the Y pipes 12, 12, to apertures provided inthe lower portion k15 of the vinterchanger, as is more clearly shown in detail in Fig. 3. f Referring to said Figs.v 3 and 4, the interchanger embodies a lower vor gas supply Y portion, 18 somewhat resembling aT, having main outlets to which are connectedjthe pipes 12, 12, and having its side outlet closed by a preferably faced flange 14. The top or liquid intake portionl of said interchanger is substantially identicaljwith the gas Supply or lower portion 13, and'comyprises a portion resembling a T having main outlets to which are connected the pipes 24, 24, hereinafter to be mentioned,

but havingits side outlet closed by aflange.V 16, preferably faced and jointly .held .against i the faced Bange 14 of the lower portion 13 Y of the interchanger as bythe bolts 17,7a gasket'lS being preferably interposed between said faced flanges to insure aleakage-v proof joint. At one side of said upper portion 15 is provided a lateral inlet 19 for the purpose ashereinafter described. Passing through both said flanges 14 and 16, and en-v gaging preferably the lower flange' 14 with a leakage proof joint, as'by a pipe threaded joint therewith, is a pipe 21 forming a part 'of andpcons'tituting an inlet to the interchanger` nozzle, which pipe 21 is of a suiteable size ,toIpermit the free flow there- Y 4through ofthe gas tobeV discharged from g the nozzle.

The finterchanger nozzley may bei-conveniently made up by enteringthe free vend "of the inletV pipe 21, within Vthe f side outlet of a T 22, froin'the end outlets ofwhich T 22 eXtendin opposite direction short outlet pipes or discharge outlets23, 23. If desired the inlet pipe 21, the T. 22, and 25 Y the 'discharge outlets, all forming the interchanger nozzle,v may be constructed in one Vintegral casting. The length `of the iniet .pipe 2i, is preferabiy suchihae saladietion of the interchanger, andthe said out- Y i charge outlets23,23, are substantially axially located within the pipes 24, 24, leading fromV the ,upperor liquid-intake porflets'. lare'V preferably of. sufficieiitlength to n'enter for 'a' short distance withinsaid pipes 24, j A24.V Y' From `said main` outletslof the up,- per portion 15 of the interchanger, lead in 1 "opposite directions thepipes 124,124, tothe Lreturnbend's 2,5, 25,;whencefextends'a series Y v "nltimatelyfunite at the T 2.6, fromv which of pipes -connectedattheir'inner ends by fittings like vthatindi'cated by the. numeral 6 and hereinbefore described, and at their Y outer endsby return bends, the number of which pipes is' largely Vdependent upon the particularV area of' thefcondenser surface whichitfis desiredrto'-sec'ure. Said pipes iapreferably' reduced outlet 27 leads to valve l 28. discharging bypipe V29 into the inlet i i: V thev pipe "31 through'lthe' liquid header 33.

'of a"three'way Lf30`. Oneoutletof said `L Vis rpiped into the said lateral outlet 19 :of the upper portion -15 ofthe interchanger..

'The' otherfoutlet of such L isconnected by AThe operation' ofmy improved 'condensing apparatus is vas follows: rlhe compressed f and hotammonia gas enters the condensing apparatus'from the compressor, Vnot shown ,again ratthe'itting 6, and thereafter again 1inV the: 'drawings through the pipe 1. Dividing Aatthe .T 2 the compressed hot gas passesjoiitward to the return bends 4, unites divides andpasses outwardly through the return bends. 11,' 11, Yand finally' returning and reuniting in the lower portion 13 of valve .32 to the f the interchanger.v InV the process of its pas-V sage through tlie piping or coil to this point the heat incident/toY compressing the gas has been to a large degreedissipated and Vpreferably water or other Acooling' agents are. 7j)

allowed tov trickle over said pipes by means not shown in the drawings butY familiarY to those conversant in the Vart to facilitate such cooling. The portion of the condensing apparatus to this pointis commonly 'referred Y to as the pre-coolenor the pre-coolingpor-v tion of the condensing apparatus.

' The piping forming theupper portion of` V and located above "the interchangergis 'condenser is lfilled, under a pressure somewhat, less than that existing inthe precooler with liogueied gas wliichfisV more or less permeatedA with compressed` which lthe condensing apparatus and leading from has been mingled therewith and'is a process of liqiiefactionV as hereinafter described,`the

Vunliquefied. gasfbeing .present in'gzlargest quantity in the 'coils of. the Vcondenser imymediately adjacent A 'the' interchange'r` buty l vbeing more or less completely liquefiedv bye' -'f ,the timethev mixture completes its circulation through the condenser and arrivesA at theV T 2,6. YThe said liquefiedgas is admit7 "ted into the VgasY liquefyingjcoil'. throughV the inlet 19 Vleadin'gintothe uppery portionj' 15 offthe'interchanger, and into the.' liquid so intro'ducedand standing more directly Vin Vthe pipes adjacent theV saidvinterchanger on either'. side', is discharged frointhe ldischarge outlets'23, 23, the compressed V,gas 'which has traversed the pre-cooler and has'reachedthe "Yloweri portion of 'the interchangery'the ve- 'locity of such discharge'dependingY on'4 the cooler and gas liquefying fcoili `Such` gas ypassing from'the lower portion of tlieinter'changer through thepipe'21Y into the ing-V vdiiference of Vthe-.pressures lexistingin preterchanger nozzles, is discharged through .i the discharge outlets 23, 23, into the` center 1 of the fluidy 'into theliquidgas standing` in said pipes 24, V2,4,ffin opposite directions.

j Such discharge producesan intimate interyii5 mingling vof thecompressed'and cooled gas Y l with the previously Vliquefied gas contained therein andv at the same time the velocity Y .l .120`

of the discharge of the compressed gas from each discharge'outlet 23, into the ,pipe 24, causesya Y.movement of said liquidv gas therein, which results indrawing intothe sameV from Athe liquid inlet positionofthe interclianger the' liquid gas 'enteringjthe same from the. liquid inlet 19. 'Y .In thisinan-V ner Vthe said liquidgas is causedV to divide' i the interchanger, land iiowing'j'inoppsite fin'separate.streamsenteringithe pipes Y'24, v 24. extending .in opposite directions fromj directions therein. The compressed gas discharged from the discharge outlets 23, 23, into such oppositely flowing streams mingle therewith and tend to become condensed therein. Such streams of intermingled gas and liquid traverse the pipes 24, 24C, to the return bends 25, 25, whence the miXture thereafter circulates sinuously alternately inwardly and again outwardly through the remaining pipes included in the condenser until the mixture of the'liquid gas and the gas newly condensed therein reaches the valve 28, by which time all the compressed gas has become liquid. The major part of such liquid after passing said valve 28 again renters the liquid intake portion of the interchanger through the piping leading to the lateral inlet 19 and again commingling with a fresh supply of compressed gas discharO'ed from the nozzles 23, 23, repeats its circiilation through the gas liquefying coil. By means of the valve 28 the rate of circulation of the liquid through the gas liquefying coil may be regulated and adjusted as desired. Any accession to the quantity of liquid gas contained in the condenser which may accumulate byfreason of the condensa-tion of gas in excess of the capacity of the condenser, may discharge through the pipe 31 and valve 32 into the liquidheader 33. l

I am aware that condensing a paratus has been khitherto constructed in which the compressed gas after passin through a precooler has been discharged directly into gas which has been previously liquefied. In such apparatus, however, so far as I am advised, such discharge has been arranged to take lace through a single discharge'outlet, w iich outlet has been tlocated at one end of a single continuous pipe in which such mixture of compressed and liquefied gas is designed to circulate, and within which the liquefaction of such compressed gas is completed. Furthermore, so far as I am advised, the discharge of the gas Vinto the receptacle or coil has been arranged to take place through a single discharge outlet or nozzle which outlet has been located at one end of a single continuous pipe, in which the mixture of the compressed gas and liqueed gas is designed to circulate and within which the liquefaction of such compressed gas is completed. In my apparatus, however, the discharge of compressed gas into the liquefied gas takes place at a point substantially central in the condenser coils and through a plurality of discharge outlets. In consequence the intermingling ofcompressed gas and liquid gas is more intimately accomplished in my apparatus than in those of the prior type. Furthermore assuming equal condenser areas and coil sizes, and equal quantities of compressed 'f gas and liquefied gas, the rate of circulation through the condenser coils is slower in my condenser than in the prior condensers. The above advantages result in an improved gas condensing and liquefying eiiiciency and a consequent economy of operation for my condenser as compared with those previously constructed.

'Ihe number and size of the pipes employed to make up the pre-cooler and condenser embodied in my condensing apparatus may be varied to suit the requirements of the plant to which the same is applied. Furthermore it will be evident that the position of the interchanger with respect to the coils of pipe embodied in the condensing apparatus may be changed in order to vary the proportion of the pre-cooling surface to that of the condenser surface in the condensing apparatus. For instance the interchanger may be substituted for the fitting 6, in which case the pipe 29 isfcorrespondingly lengthened.

I-Iaving describedv my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In gas condensing apparatus, a gas liquefying coil embodying a liquid intake and having diverging branches extending in opposite directions from said liquid intake, a conduit for conducting gas under pressure, a gas inlet connected with said conduit and embodying a plurality of discharge nozzles located within said liquid intake and arranged to discharge gas from the conduit into said diverging branches adjacent said liquid intake and therebyk to create a circulation of liquid in said branches from said liquid intake to the discharging ends of such branches, means for reconducting a part of the liquid gas discharged at the discharging ends of said diverging branches back to said liquid intake, and for conducting the remainder of such gas to a storage receptacle.

2. ln gas condensing apparatus, a gas liquefying coil embodying a liquid intake and having two branches symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said liquid intake, a conduit for conducting gas under pressure, a gas inlet piped to said conduit and embodying nozzles located within said intake, each of said nozzles being arranged to introduce gas discharged therefrom into one of said branches and to create a circulation of liquid therein from said liquid intake to the outlet end of the branch means for returning a part of the liquefied gas discharged at the outlet end of said branches back to said liquid intake and means for conducting the remainder of such liquefied gas to a storage receptacle.

3. In gas condensing apparatus, a gas liquefying coil embodying a liquid intake and having a plurality of branches symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of l() Y for returning a part of the liquefied gas` therefrom into one of said branches and to -i Create a circulation of liquid therein from said liquid intake to the outlet'end of the v branch, rdneans intermediate the conduit and thegas inlet for preeooling the gas, means j opies of this patent may be obtained forrve cents eenh, by vaddressing` the Commissioner of Patents, Y

discharged atthe outlet end of the'said branches vback to the said liquid intake, andV means for leonducing the `remainder of such liquefied gas to theV storageV recepfw15 tacle. n Y y In testimony whereof I affix Vmy signaturein presence of twoA Witnesses. f JOSEPH A. STUTSMAN. Witnesses;V Y j 'f NATHANB. DAY,

CHAS. Fg RANDALL.

Washington, D. C. .v v Y 

